;  UNITED   STATES 


u.s 


4*M| 

.     .     .    3ul.         37. 


H. 


Cox 


Septeraber  18,   1915 


I 


UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 

FARMERS' 
BULLETIN 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C.  687  SEPTEMBER  18,  1915 

Contribution  from  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry,  Wm.  A.  Taylor,  Chief. 

ERADICATION    OF   FERNS   FROM  PASTURE  LANDS 
IN  THE  EASTERN  UNITED  STATES. 

By  H.  R.  Cox, 

Agriculturist,  Office  of  Farm  Management. 

KINDS  OF  FERNS  THAT  ARE  WEEDS  AND  AREAS  INFESTED.1 

There  are  nearly  7,500  recognized  species  of  ferns  in  the  world,  of 
which  number  over  200  are  known  to  be  native  to  the  United  States. 
A  few  species  have  become  weed  pests  in  this  country,  and  it  is  to  a 
discussion  of  the  control  of  these  weedy  ferns  that  this  bulletin  is 
devoted. 

The  parts  of  the  United  States  in  which  ferns  are  bad  weeds  are, 
principally,  (1)  the  hill  country  of  the  Northeastern  States  and  the 
higher  portions  of  the  Appalachian  Mountain  region  as  far  south  as 
Georgia,  and  (2)  the  Pacific  coast  country  west  of  the  Cascade 
Mountains.  In  the  former  region,  which  is  the  area  covered  by  this 
bulletin,  the  principal  weedy  ferns  are  the  hay-scented  fern  (Denn- 
8ta«ltia  punctilobula)  and  the  brake  (Pteris  aquilina,  formerly  known 
as  Pteridium  aquilinum).  Both  kinds  are  sometimes  called  brakes, 
although  tliis  term  is  properly  applied  only  to  tho  latter  species.  In 
Ihe  Pacific  coast  section  the  brake  is  the  most  common  weedy  fern. 

Several  other  species  in  the  eastern  region  are  sometimes  annoying, 
but  they  occur  largely  in  low  and  moist  places  and  do  not  give  much 
trouble  on  good  pasture  land.  They  are  principally  the  cinnamon 
fern  (Osmunda  cinnamomea),  the  marsh  fern  (Orihopteris  thelypteris), 
and  the  sensitive  fern  (Onoclea  sensibilis). 

i  The  writer  is  indebted  to  Mr.  J.  S.  Cotton,  of  the  Office  of  Farm  Management,  for  valuable  suggestions 
in  making  the  experiments  described  in  this  bulletin. 

N  ( >  IF..— This  bulletin  will  be  of  interest  to  farmers  in  the  hill  country  of  the  Northeastern  States  and  the 
higher  poriions  of  I  lie.  Appalachian  Mountain  region  farther  south. 
2219°— Bull.  687—15 


487<y 


FARMERS'  BULLETIN  687. 


SCOPE   OF  THIS   BULLETIN. 

Tin's  publication  deals  only  with  fern  eradication  in  the  Eastern 
States.  Although  the  experiments  here  recorded  were  made  with 
the  hav-scented  fern,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  methods 
found  useful  against  this  species  would  be  equally  applicable  to  the 
brake.  It  should  be  understood,  however,  that  the  fern  referred  to 
in  the  following  pages  is  the  hay-scented  fern. 

HABITS    OF   GROWTH    OF  THE   WEEDY    FERNS. 

THE  HAY-SCENTED  FERN. 

The  hay-scented  fern  (fig.  1)  has  a  perennial, 
very  slender  rootstock  one-eighth  to  three-six- 
teenths of  an  inch  in  diameter,  extensively 
creeping  below  ground  parallel  to  the  surface. 
From  the  rootstocks  arise  at  short  intervals 
the  fronds,  or  leaves,  of  the  plant.  These 
fronds  are  1  to  3  feet  high  and  5  to  9  inches 
wide  when  mature.  The  fruit  dots  occurring 
on  the  margin  of  the  leaf  bear  the  spores  which 
arc  comparable  to  the  seeds  of  seed-bearing 
plants. 

This  kind  of  fern  grows  in  patches  or  clumps 
(fig.  2) ,  the  surfaces  of  which  are  raised  above 
the  rest  of  the  land  and  are  soft  and  spongy, 
consisting  of  an  accumulation  of  dead  fern 
and  forest  leaves.  In  these  clumps  the  fern 
leaves  grow  so  thickly  that  young  grass  has  110 
opportunity  to  work  in.  Even  if  grass  could 
get  a  start  in  the  clumps,  it  would  be  smoth- 
ered out  when  the  fern  leaves  fall  over  and  die 
on  the  coining  of  cold  weather. 

The  hay-scented  fern  is  rather  particular  as 
to  location.  It  thrives  in  places  partially  pro- 
tected from  the  sun's  rays,  such  as  northern,  eastern,  and  western 
slopes,  or  in  areas  close  to  stone  walls  or  trees.  It  is  noteworthy 
that  this  fern  is  not  found  in  places  that  are  much  trodden.  Either 
the  plants  have  been  driven  out  by  the  trampling  of  animals  or  the 
soil  is  so  compact  that  tin*  fern  can  not  get  a  start. 

THE  BRAKE. 

The  brake  (fig.  3)  has  underground  parts  similar  to  those  of  the 
hay-scented  fern,  but  the  rootstocks  are  more  stout  and  woody  and 
creep  longer  distances  below  the  soil  surface.  The  brake  also  has  the 
same  methods  of  reproduction  as  the  hay-scented  fern.  The  plant 


Fro.  1.-— The  bay-waited 

fern. 


ERADICATION    OF   FERNS   FROM   PASTURE    LANDS.   '         '  '      '•# 

varies  much  in  size;  in  the  Eastern  States  it  is  1  to  3  feet  high,  but  on 
the  Pacific  coast  it  attains  a  height  of  6  to  8  feet.  The  leaf  blades  are 
triangular  and  umbrella-like,  1  to  4  feet  broad,  and  long  and  more  or 
less  three  parted,  the  larger  branches  usually  twice  divided.  At 
maturity  the  fruiting  leaves  have  a  continuous  edging  of  spore  cases, 
which  shed  the  light-brown  spores  in  great  quantities. 

In  the  Eastern  States  the  brake  is  distributed  somewhat  more  gen- 
erally than  the  hay-scented  fern,  not  being  confined  so  exclusively  to 


5$S 


FIG.  2.— A  pasture  in  southern  New  York  with  a  characteristic  growth  of  hay-scented  ferns. 

the  hill  and  mountain  country.  From  its  habit  of  being  widely  creep- 
ing, the  brake  does  not  occur  in  dense,  well-defined  patches,  like  the 
hay-scented  fern  (fig.  4) . 

CONTROL   OF   FERNS  IN  THE   EASTERN   STATES. 

As  the  grazing  of  live  stock  is  a  prominent  feature  in  the  farming 
of  the  eastern  region  in  which  ferns  are  weeds,  and  as  the  area  of  avail- 
able pasturage  has  been  curtailed  by  the  presence  of  the  ferns,  thesQ 
weeds  are  looked  upon  as  a  serious  pest.  Moreover,  since  these  lands 
for  the  most  part  are  so  steep  and  rocky  as  to  prohibit  cultivation,  and 
since  the  ferns,  unlike  many  other  pasture  weeds,  can  not  be  reduced 
in  number  by  increasing  the  vigor  and  thickening  the  stand  of  the 
pasture  grasses,  a  real  problem  in  weed  control  is  presented. 


FARMERS'  BULLETIN  687. 


METHODS  ALREADY   IN  USE. 


The  methods  that  have  been  adopted  for  eradicating  ferns  in  the 
Eastern  States  arc  cutting  or  mowing,  salting  live  stock,  and  culti- 


vation. 


CUTTING    OR   MOWING. 


In  1557  Thomas  Tusser  wrote  his  "Five  Hundred  Pointes  of  Good 
Husbandrie,"  in  which  he  said: 

In  June  and  in  August,  as  well  doth  appeere, 
Is  best  to  mowo  Brakes  of  all  times  of  the  Yeere. 

In  1911  a  representative  of  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agri- 
culture found  a  farmer  in  Delaware 
County,  N.  Y.,  who  was  following 
the  identical  method  advised  by 
Tusser  and  had  greatly  reduced  the 
number  of  ferns  in  his  pastures. 
(See  fig.  5.)  This  farmer,  Mr.  W.  J. 
Thomson,  has  found  that  attacking 
them  twice  a  year  greatly  reduces 
the  number  of  ferns,  and  that  if  the 
method  is  followed  for  two  years 
in  succession  most  of  them  dis- 
appear. 

It  is  best  to  make  the  cuttings 
just  previous  to  the  time  when  the 
ferns  mature  their  spores.  This 
not  only  prevents  propagation  by 
means  of  spores  but  greatly  weak- 
ens the  rootstocks,  which  are  at 
their  most  susceptible  stage  just 
previous  to  sporing.  As  the  spores 
mature  during  the  latter  part  of 
June  in  Delaware  County,  the 
proper  time  to  make  the  first  cut- 
ting in  that  region  is  about  the 
middle  of  that  month.  New  leaves  spring  up  immediately,  so  that 
one  more  cutting  must  be  made*  that  season  to  prevent  sporing.  This 
second  cutting  should  be  made  about  the  middle  of  August.  It  is 
highly  important  to  observe  the  precaution  that  if  either  of  the  cut- 
tings  is  put  off  until  after  the  spores  mature,  the  plants  should  not 
be  disturbed  during  the  remainder  of  that  season,  since  mowing  the 
ferns  after  the  spores  ripen  seems  to  scatter  the  spores  a  great  deal 
more  than  when  the  plants  remain  undisturbed. 

The  work  of  cutting  must  usually  be  done  by  hand  (fig.  6),  as  the 
land  is  generally  too  rough  to  admit  of  the  use  of  a  mower.     In  a 


FIG.  3.— The  brake. 


ERADICATION    OF    FERNS   FROM    PASTURE 

pasture  with  an  average  quantity  of  fern,  one  man  with  a  scythe  can 
cover  about  2J  acres  in  a  day.  The  leafstalks  are  tender  and  are 
easily  cut  with  a  scythe. 

The  writer  has  found  a  number  of  farmers  in  the  mountain-pasture 
district  of  North  Carolina  who  have  successfully  used  this  method  of 
eradicating  ferns.  The  plan  seems  to  be  generally  accepted  as  the 
best  in  that  region. 

Burning  after  cutting.— Mr.  Thomson  has  found  that  burning  over 
the  fern  patches  after  cutting  serves  as  a  further  check  to  the  pest. 


FIG.  4.— A  field  infested  with  brakes,  near  Tacoma,  Wash. 

After  the  mowed  fern  leaves  have  become  dry,  fire  is  started  on  the 
windward  side  of  the  patch.  Not  all  patches  will  burn  completely, 
a;s  there  are  varying  quantities  of  combustible  material  in  the  areas. 
Where  a  fierce  fire  has  passed  over  a  patch  the  fern  rootstocks  are 
undoubtedly  injured  to  a  considerable  extent. 

SALTING   LIVE    STOCK  IN   FERN   PATCHES. 

Where  ferns  occupy  very  small  areas  on  a  farm  certain  methods 
may  be  used  that  would  not  be  economical  on  a  thickly  infested  piece, 
of  land .  One  of  these  methods  is  salting  live  stock  in  t  ho  fern  patches. 
Dry  salt  is  scattered  on  the  plants  when  they  arc  moist  with  rain  or 


.6.:"-': :..:  -''''•' 


BULLETIN    687. 


dew.  The  stock  eat  and  trample  the  plants  in  their  effort  to  get  the 
salt.  This  plan  has  been  successful  on  at  least  one  farm  near  Delhi, 
N.  Y.  Since  the  saltings  must  be  rather  frequent,  the  areas  treated 
should  be  those  that  are  easily  accessible. 


CULTIVATION. 


There  is  no  doubt  that  cultivation  destroys  ferns.  The  difficult 
is  that  the  steep  and  rocky  character  of  the  fern-infested  land  does 
not  permit  effective  cultivation  except  on  limited  areas.  Cultivation 
has  been  tried  on  Mr.  Thomson's  farm  with  indifferent  success. 
When  a  piece  of  pasture  was  plowed  up  and  put  into  small  grain,  fol- 
lowed by  seeding  to  grass,  the  fern  worked  in  again,  so  that  it  is  now 


FIG.  5.— General  view  in  southern  New  York,  showing  land  in  the  foreground  on  which  hay-scented  ferns 
have  been  eradicated  by  cutting. 

as  thick  as  formerly.  Another  piece  of  pasture  land  was  well  culti-j 
vated  in  potatoes  and  afterward  seeded  to  grass.  In  this  piece  the 
fern  was  slower  in  working  back,  but  later  a  fairly  good  stand  of  tho 
weed  was  found.  If  the  cultivation  could  have  been  continued  for 
several  years,  permanent  eradication  of  the  fern  might  have  been 
expected,  but  the  character  of  the  land  prevented  this  treatment. 

EXPERIMENTS  IN  FERN  ERADICATION. 

Having  learned  the  value  of  the  various  methods  already  in  use  in 
controlling  ferns,  the  question  arose  whether  there  were  anv  other 
methods  that  might  be  more  satisfactorily  employed.  Spraying  with 


ERADICATION    OF   FERNS   FROM   PASTURE 

plant  poisons  suggested  itself  as  the  most  promising.  Accordingly, 
experiments  were  planned  in  cooperation  with  Mr.  Thomson  to  com- 
pare the  value  of  spraying  with  cutting,  as  well  as  to  learn  something 
about  the  best  way  of  getting  a  stand  of  grass  and  clover  on  the  in- 
fested areas.  These  experiments  covered  a  period  of  two  years,  1912 
and  1913. 

EXPERIMENTS   IN    1912. 

The  tests  were  made  in  two  series.  Series  1  consisted  of  spraying 
to  kill  the  ferns,  accompanied  by  seeding,  liming,  and  fertilizing  to 
encourage  a  stand  of  grass.  All  plats  were  sprayed  twice  except  one, 
which  was  sprayed  four  times.  Series  2  consisted  of  cutting,  also 
accompanied  by  seeding,  liming,  and  fertilizing.  Each  plat  was  cut 


FIG.  6. — Cutting  ferns  with  a  scythe  on  a  hillside. 

twice.  The  two  sprayings  and  two  cuttings  on  the  various  plats  were 
made  about  the  middle  of  June  and  August,  just  preceding  sporing 
time. 

Sprayed  series. — The  number  of  sprayed  plats  was  four,  all  being 
uniformly  and  fairly  well  set  to  ferns.  The  materials  used  were 
solutions  of  common  salt,  iron  sulphate,  and  arsenitc  of  soda,  and  in 
order  to  make  the  treatments  comparable  as  to  cost  the  quantities 
applied  to  the  various  plats  were  of  equal  value.  The  sprayer  used 
was  a  hand  bucket  pump,  which  produced  a  fairly  mistlike  spray. 
The  entire  surface  of  the  plat  was  treated,  the  grass  as  well  as  the 
ferns.  One-half  of  each  plat  was  limed  and  fertilized  in  June  at  the 
rate  per  acre  of  300  pounds  of  acid  phosphate,  150  pounds  of  muriate 
of  potash,  and  2,000  pounds  of  hydrated  lime.  The  entire  surface  of 


-S.-  "V- »•'•"'  FARMERS'  BULLETIN  687. 

all  the  plats  was  seeded  to  a  pasture  mixture  of  grass  and  clover  in 
August. 

.  Cut  series. — The  number  of  cut  plats  was  two.  They  were  both 
treated  alike  as  to  cutting,  but  one  of  them  was  limed  and  fertilized 
in  June  and  seeded  in  August,  while  the  other  was  merely  seeded  in 
August. 

EXPERIMENTS    OP    1913. 

It  was  the  intention  to  duplicate  the  treatment  of  1912  on  all  the 
plats.  In  the  spring  of  1913,  however,  it  was  evident  that  the-  re- 
sults of  spraying  on  the  plats  treated  with  salt  and  arseiiite  of  soda 
in  1912  had  been  so  effective  that  there  was  not  much  foni  left  on 
v  liich  to  experiment.  Accordingly,  two  new  plats  were  laid  out  in 
1913  to  test  the  relative  merits  of  these  two  materials.  The  quantities 
used  were  less,  but  were  equal  as  to  cost,  as  before.  Each  plat  was 
sprayed  twice. 

In  addition  to  these  two  plats,  two  small  areas  of  the  1912  sprayed 
plats  were  sprayed  with  the  same  solutions  described  above  to  note 
their  effect  on  the  young  seeding  of  grass  and  clover. 

There  were  no  cutting  plats  in  1913,  as  there  were  numerous  places 
in  the  fields  where  the  fern  had  been  cut  one  year  and  also  two  years 
in  succession.  The  cut  plats  of  1912  were  untouched  in  1913  in 
order  to  note  the  fighting  qualities  of  the  fern  in  the  presence  of  the 
new  seeding  of  grass  and  clover. 

CONCLUSIONS  FROM  EXPERIMENTS  AND  OBSERVATIONS  WITH  FERNS. 

CUTTING. 

Cutting  ordinarily  is  a  cheaper  method  of  handling  ferns  than  spray- 
ing. With  ferns  at  an  average  degree  of  thickness  in  a  pasture  a  man 
ought  to  cover  about  2\  acres  a  day.  With  labor  at  $1.50  the  cost 
of  cutting  fern  is  about  60  cents  an  acre  for  each  cutting,  as  com-j 
pared  with  spraying  with  salt  at  about  $1.05. 

A  further  advantage  of  cutrtmg  is  that  it  is  less  complicated  than 
spraying  and  requires  only  the  use  of  a  tool  with  which  all  farmers 
are  thoroughly  familiar. 

Still  another  advantage  is  that  seeding  to  grass  and  clover  can  be 
made  as  soon  after  the  first  cutting  as  is  desired.  After  the  original 
stand  of  ferns  is  cut  down,  the  subsequent  growth  is  seldom  so  thick 
as  to  prevent  young  grass  working  in.  The  seeding  can  be  done 
the.  same  year  that  the  work  of  eradication  is  started,  so  that  bv  the 
following  year  a  good  growth  of  young  grass  and  clover  may  bo 
expected,  which  in  itself  contributes  to  the  reduction  of  the  number 
of  ferns. 


ERADICATION    OF   FERNS   FROM    PASTURE    LANDS. 


SPRAYING. 


There  is  no  doubt,  that  salt  is  the  host  material  for  a  spray  solution 
against  ferns.  (Sec  fig.  7.)  The  iron  sulphate  was  ineffective. 
Arsenite  of  soda  was  effective,  but  its  use  involved  some  risk  on 
account  of  its  poisonous  character  to  man  and  animals;  furthermore, 
it  is  rather  difficult  to  obtain  except  in  the  larger  centers.  Salt  is 
very  effective,  is  easily  obtainable,  and  probably  exerts  an  aftereffect 
favorable  to  grass.  It  is  also  relished  by  live  stock,  thus  contribut- 
ing to  the  destruction  of  ferns  treated  with  it  in  pastures  to  which 
stock  have  access. 


FIG.  7. — Fields  in  southeastern  New  York  where  the  experiments  in  fern  eradication  were  made.  In  the 
immediate  foreground  is  the  plat  sprayed  with  salt  solution,  which  accomplished  the  destruction  of 
nearly  all  the  ferns  in  one  season. 

The  quantity  of  salt  required  to  the  acre  depends,  of  course,  on 
the  thickness  of  the  fern.  The  smallest  amount  used  in  the  experi- 
ments was  600  pounds  to  the  acre,  and  this  was  considerably  more 
than  was  needed,  even  though  the  entire  surface  of  the  plats,  both 
the  fern  and  the  grass,  was  treated.  As  the  ferns  seldom  occupy  morn 
than  one- third  the  surface  of  a  pasture,  200  pounds  to  the  acre  is 
usually  ample.  In  these  experiments  salt  was  used  in  almost  a  satu- 
rated solution,  that  is,  1  pound  to  about  1J  quarts  of  water.  If 
desirable,  a  more  dilute  solution  could  be  used. 


10 

The  cost  of  spraying  varies  under  different  conditions  and  is  here 
only  estimated.  The  difficulty  of  hauling  water  up  steep  slopes  is 
sometimes  so  great  as  to  make  spraying  almost  prohibitive.  After 
the  materials  are  hauled  to  the  field,  the  work  of  spraying  proceeds 
faster  than  cutting.  With  ferns  of  an  average  degree  of  thickness 
a  man  with  a  knapsack  sprayer  ought  to  cover  about  5  acres  a  day. 
Assuming  that  150  pounds  of  salt  are  used  to  the  acre  at  a  cost  of 
one-half  cent  a  pound  and  that  5  acres  are  covered  in  a  day  with 
labor  worth  $1.50,  the  cost  of  spraying  with  salt  is  $1.05  per  acre  for 
each  application,  not  including  the  cost  of  hauling  the  materials.  As 
the  first  spraying  is  the  most  expensive  in  labor  and  materials,  this 
treatment  may  cost  a  little  more  than  the  amount  mentioned,  while 
the  subsequent  treatments  will  probably  cost  less. 

One  disadvantage  of  spraying  is  that  it  is  a  detriment  to  the  growth 
of  young  clover.  This  means  that  the  measures  for  encouraging  the 
clover  to  work  into  the  patches  occupied  by  fern  should  be  deferred 
until  after  tlie  last  spraying  has  been  made.  It  is  probable  that  the 
spray  does  not  injure  young  grass  to  any  great  extent. 

An  advantage  of  spraying  is  that  it  may  be  employed  in  situations 
that  arc  too  stony  for  the  efficient  use  of  the  scythe  (fig.  8).  There 
arc  also  certain  other  situations  where  large  spraying  outfits  may  be 
satisfactorily  used.  Spraying  with  a  barrel  pump  on  a  low  wagon  can 
sometimes  be  made  more  cheaply  than  with  a  knapsack  outfit. 

NUMBER   OF  TREATMENTS   NECESSARY. 

Two  treatments  a  year,  either  spraying  or  cutting,  seem  to  be 
about  as  effective  as  four,  and  are  to  be  recommended.  Undoubtedly 
the  best  time  to  treat  the  ferns  is  just  previous  to  sporing,  or  about  the 
middle  of  June  and  the  middle  of  August. 

BURNING. 

Following  a  treatment  of  either  spraying  or  cutting,  fire  may  be 
started  when,  the  vegetation  on  the  surface  of  the  patches  is  dry. 
The  burning  not  only  kills  the  shoots  that  have  recently  started,  but 
probably  affects  the  vitality  of  the  rootstocks  as  well.  The  subse- 
quent growth  of  young  shoots  is  usually  not  as  vigorous  as  when  the 
patches  are  not  burned.  The  burning  should  be  done,  of  course, 
before  seeding  to  grass  and  clover. 

HOW    LONG    SHOULD   THE    MEASURES    OF   ERADICATION    BE    CONTINUED? 

It  is  probably  not  practicable  absolutely  to  eradicate  ferns.  After 
they  have  been  reduced  to  a  minimum  the  specific  methods  of  de- 
struction may  be  discontinued,  at  least  until  the  weeds  again  become 
troublesome.  The  reduction  of  the  number  of  ferns  will  give  the 
grass  and  clover  ample  opportunity  to  work  in,  and  this  in  itself  will 
tend  to  hold  the  ferns  in  check. 


EKADICATION  OF  FERNS  FROM  PASTURE  LANDS. 


GETTING   A   STAND   OF  GRASS   ON  THE   FERN   PATCHES. 


11 


After  the  fern  has  boon  greatly  reduced  or  entirely  eradicated, 
grass  is  very  slow  in  working  into  the  patches  unless  certain  measures 
are  adopted.  Of  these  measures,  scattering  grass  and  clover  seed 
over  the  patches  is  the  most  important  one.  The  stand  is  better 
and  the  growth  more  vigorous,  especially  in  the  case  of  clover,  if  lime 
and  fertilizer  are  applied  in  addition  to  the  seed. 

Seed  may  be  sown  either  in  the  early  spring  or  late  summer.  In 
these  tests  the  seed  was  applied  at  the  latter  period,  that  is,  during 


PIG.  8.— View  of  a  pasture  from  which  ferns  have  been  eradicated,  except  amoni;  rocks  and  close  to  the 
1  stone  fence,  by  cutting.  This  pasture  presents  conditions  under  which  spraying  with  a  salt  solution  may 
I  be  the  best  method  of  eradication. 

Lugust,  with  excellent  results.  If  the  seeding  be  done  at  this  time 
Ihe  young  grass  seedlings  are  less  injured,  probably  by  the  shading 
Meet  of  the  ferns,  than  if  done  in  the  early  spring. 

CONTROL  OF  FERNS  IN   THE   WESTERN   STATES. 

The  brake  is  fully  as  serious  a  weed  pest  on  the  Pacific,  coast  as  are 
.i  of  the  fern  species  hi  the  East.  A  thorough  investigation  of  the 
fern  problem  of  the  Western  States  has  not  been  made  ad  yet  by  the 
Department  of  Agriculture.  There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  the 
ferns  of  that  region  may  be  subdued  by  the  same  methods  used  m 
the  East,  with  certain  modifications  to  meet  local  conditions,  espe- 
cially in 'the  time  of  application  of  the  treatments.  Owing  to  the 


., 


12 

nature  of  the  land  and  the  kind  of  farming  in  vogue  on  the  Pacific 
coast  there  are  several  methods  that  can  probably  be  used  to  advan- 
tage in  that  region  that  can  not  be  employed  in  the  East. 

SUMMARY. 

Two  kinds  of  ferns  have  become  serious  weed  pests  in  the  United 
States,  namely,  the  hay-scented  fern  and  the  brake.  The  two  species 
are  troublesome  in  the  hill  country  of  the  Northeastern  States  and 
in  the  higher  mountain  country  of  the  States  farther  south.  On  the 
Pacific  coast  the  brake  is  the  principal  weedy  fern. 

This  bulletin  deals  with  the  fern  problem  of  the  Eastern  States!; 
Although  the  experiments  here  recorded  were  made  with  the  liav- 
scented  fern,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  treatment  found  most  effectiv 
with  that  species  would  apply  equally  well  to  the  brake.     Both  kiiK 
are  perennials,  with  running  rootstocks  which  lie  more  or  less  parall< 
to  the  soil  surface. 

In  most  parts  of  the  East  where  the  ferns  are  weeds  the  land  is  s 
steep  and  rocky  that  cultivation  is  not  practicable.  It  has  bee 
found  that  cutting  off  the  tops  close  to  the  soil  surface  twice  a  ye; 
for  two  years  will  kill  out  nearly  all  of  the  ferns.  The  best  times  to  d 
the  cutting  are  just  previous  to  sporing,  or  about  the  middle  of  Jun 
and  the  middle  of  August  in  southern  New  York. 

Experiments  were  made  in  1912  and  1913  to  test  the  effieacv 
spraying  as  compared  with  cutting  and  to  learn  the  best  method 
obtaining  a  stand  of  grass  and  clover  on  the  fern-infested  areas 
The  spray  materials  used  were  solutions  of  salt,  arsenite  of  soda,  an 
iron  sulphate.     These  materials  were  used  in  quantities  of  equal  value 

The  results  of  these  tests  showed   the  following  facts:  Salt  is  tli 
best  spray  material  of  the  three.     With  ferns  at  an  average  degrt 
of  thickness  on  the  land,  150  pounds  of  salt  dissolved  in  60  gallon 
or  more  of  water  to  the  acre  for  each  application  are  sufficient.     T\\ 
sprayings  a  year  are  about  as  effective  as  four,  and  are  to  be  recom 
mended.     Cutting   is  somewhat   cheaper   than   spraying.     Further 
more,  the  cutting  does  not  interfere  with  young  clover  and  gn 
coming  in  on  the  infested  patches  after  the  first   treatment.     Tl 
method,  therefore,  is  to  be  recommended  in  preference  to  spray  in 
in  most  situations.     In  some  places  the  land  is  so  stony  as  to  inter- 
fere with  cutting,  in  which  case  spraying  may  be  the  best  metho< 
It  was  found  that  scattering  seed  on  the  patches  where  ferns  ha 
grown  was  the  most  important  means  of  getting  a  stand  of  grass  an 
clover,  and  that  liming  and  fertilizing  in  addition  to  the  seeding  wei 
of  considerable  benefit. 


WASHINGTON  :   (ioVKHN.MKNT   1'KlNTiyi: 


Syracuse,  Is.  > 
PAT.  JAN.  21 ,1908 


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